Gas generator



July 24, 1934.

G. M. DEMING GAS GENERATOR Fild March 22. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l HH HHHHHH m; IN N;

INVENTOR ATTORNEY G. M. DEMING GAS GENERATOR July 24, 1934.

Filed March 22, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M July 24, 1934. G. M. DEMING 1,967,293

GAS GENERATOR Filed March 22, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNE "Patented July 24, .1934

PATENT o FFICE GAS GENERATOR George M. Deming'East Orange, N. 3., .assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New

York, a corporation of New York Application March 22,

Claims.

This invention relates togas generators in which solid material is fed and dropped into a body of liquid, by reaction with which gas is generated. Specifically, "the invention relates to acetylene generators.

The inventionrelates more particularly to a generator in which :a valve or feed device at the outlet of the carbide hopper is agitated automatically to produce the feed. Objects of the invention are: case and economy of manufacturepdependability of operation, uniformity .of pressure or :the "gas supplied 'to torches :or other consuming devices, high quality of regulation throughout a wide range of gas flows from very low to very high, simplicity of mechanism coupled with capability of remaining in good working order indefinitely, "and sturdiness to withstand use inthe'field or rough handling.

The :generator illustrated herein is similar in much of its mechanism to that disclosedin my copending application Serial No. 800,431, filed March "22, 21932, but the matters claimed herein are not limited to the specific w A particular object of the present invention to provideanacetylene generator having a novel and advantageousagitator device, which is capable of handling :wide :ranges :of flow satisfactorily, is sensitive in operationand ,very simplein construction. 'This' agitator has ailexlble diaphragm which is oscillated as the result of small fluctuations in pressure resulting .from, repeated discharges of 'thexgasthrough a 'liquid seal, thisdiaphragm action being transmitted through suitable linkage to the feed, device.

Other objects and features .of the invention will become apparent 'from the drawings and from s the bodyofthe specification.

.In the said drawingsz Fig. "l is a vertical section" through i a generator embodying theinvention, the body-of the (generator and the carbide hopper both being largely broken away; a V

Fig. 2 is a vertical, section through the agitator .on ayplane at right anglesto-the planeqof lf'ig. *1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ,on the line 3-3 oiFigZ; .n i T .Fig. 4" isaverticab section showing an alternative form oi'theagitator; and Fig. 5.. is a horizontal section on :the line- 5-5 of Fig.4. l.

.A portion ofthe tank body of thegenerator, containing .the generating chamber, is marked .2, and a portion of the carbide hopper is .marked ;3. The'normaliwater level in. the bodyis marked 4, ;above this" being the gasrspacefi.

1932, Serial No. 600,432 ((71. 48-38) The hopper has a sloping bottom 9 containing a broad feed openinglo, preferably defined by a lip or spout. The feed of carbide and its delivery to the body of water is controlled by a valve, whichterm is to be understood ina broad w sense, and a suitable part of the valve is agitated to cause the carbide to be fed in accordance with the consumption of :gas taken from the generator. The part which is agitated maybe of the kind shown in the accompanying drawings or of difierent kind, see, for example, my copending application Serial No. 600,434, filed March 22, 1932. w

'Inthe illustrated embodiment, a valve plate 11 is supported beneath the hopper spout so as to sustain the carbide, and is capable-of being oscillated about a vertical axis. The topof the valve plate slopesgently from the center, and in its under side'there is a cavity to receive thepointed head 14 of a valve stem 12, the shank of this stem being. guided in the hub 13 of a spider, which is supported by 3,.001131'16 projecting downward from the hopper.

A gaslimb 22 isxcarried by. the upper part of the generator body,.from*which it extends laterally, the interior. of the limb being in communicatlon with the gas space of the generator. A lever 40 extends within this limb-and into the generator body, where its :terminal -41 underlies the valveste'm' 12, for the purpose of raising and lowering the valve'plate 11 "to varythe size of the carbide feed passage. This lever is fulcrumed atits outer end, at 45, and is acted upon by two opposing springs 28vand 47, the'former tending to lower the feed valve plate and the latter tending to'raise it.- The spring 28, which may be termed a regulating spring, is the more powerful, and acts upon the lever 40 through a diaphragm 26, which closes an opening in the-top of the gas limb. When the gas pressure in the generator rises somewhat, its efiect upon the diaphragm reduces the pressure of the regulating spring on the lever, allowing the spring 47, which maybe termed a compensating spring, to move the lever in the direction to bring :the valve plate 11 closer to the-chopper spout, orlevenrto close it entirely. .Conversely, when the gas pressure decreases somewhat, the spring #28 exerts more stress on :the lever, and in so doing lowers the valve plate. These provisions tend to maintain a uniform working pressure in the generator, which pressure x'canbe varied bytheadjusting screw 30.

The carbide feed can be locked by turning the .rhandle -56 of a cam 54 whichcoacts with cam surfaces on top of theregulator spring bonnet. [1'0 2 As fully described in my copending application Serial No. 600,431, this causes the cam to act on the heads 53 of rods 52, the lower ends of which are connected to a cross-bar 44 that passes through a slotted opening in the boss 51 of a diaphragm plate 29. This back-checking of the regulator spring permits the-compensating spring 47 to press and hold the valve plate 11 against the edge of the carbide opening 10.

Another bonnet 32 contains a relief valve.

The top of a liquid-seal chamber 100 is applied to the underside of the gas limb 22 around a large opening in its bottom. with liquid 101 to a predetermined level through a fill-opening closed by a plug 102, leaving'a gas space 103 in the upper portion of the liquid-seal chamber. A flexible diaphragm 104 is clamped at its margin between the chamber 100 and the gas limb. Thus, this diaphragm is exposed at its up:

per side to the generated gas pressure existing in the gaschamber of the limb 22 andat its under side to what may be termed the outlet gas pres-' sure in the space 103.. A gas outlet passage, 105 communicates at 106 with the space 103 beneaththe diaphragm and conducts the gas, after it passes the water seal, to an outlet pipe 107. It will be understood that this pipe leads tov the usual flash arrester chamber (not shown), from which the gas passes to the service line or main.

The downtake limb of the liquid seal is representedby a duct 108 thatextends vertically in the wall at one side of the liquid-seal chamber. This duct is open at its upper end to the. gas chamber in the limb 22, and at its lower end communicates through an opening 109 with the lower portion of the liquid-seal chamber.

In the absence of. gas pressure, the liquid would stand at the same height in this duct and in' the well of the liquid-seal chamber. During generation and consumption of gas, the gas is compelled to depress the liquid in the duct 108 until the gas gains the opening 109, from which it bubbles upward through the body of the liquid, and then passes by way of the gas space 103 to the outlet. Upon the occurrence of each such discharge the gas pressures at opposite sidesof the diaphragm 104 are more or less equalized,- and the liquid rises in the duct 108, to be' depressed againas gasaccumulates in the generator.v These discharges through the water seal occur atshort intervals, with greater or less frequency depending upon the consumption flow.

The fluctuations in the pressure differential across the diaphragm 104 cause it to flex up and down, and this action is communicated to a part of the carbide feed valve to agitate the latter and cause the carbide to be fed. The pressure fluctuations do not affect the high degree of steadiness and pressure uniformity of the gas delivered-by the generator for consumption, since the fluctuations are small in magnitude, and, for all practical purposes, cease to exist in the course of the passage of the gas to the torches:

- In this instance-the feed element that.is agitated isa-the valve plate 11, to which -a link 'l'l'is .eccentrically pivoted; iThis'linkxis connected at '79, with'a'rod'or link 75, which extends inside the gas limb to a bell-crank lever .70 above the diaphragm 104. The pivot fulcrum :71 of this bell-crank m'ay'beon the regulating lever '40, though'that is'not'important. A link 69jconnected to the center of the diaphragm'104 is hung on the horizontal arm of the bell-crank.

When the diaphragm-104 is flexed downward by the gas pressure'in the generator, thelinkage This chamber is charged thus far, a bubbler plate 69, '70, 75, 77 oscillates the valve plate 11 in one direction. Then when the gas breaks through the liquid seal, the diaphragm is flexed upward and the linkage is operated by a spring '12 to oscillate the valve element 11 in the reverse direction. The eifect of this spring could be replaced by that of aweight. The spring. is preferably connected to the bell-crank 70, and is anchored to the lever 40 or to any other convenient place.

The action of this diaphragm agitator is made more effective by the provision of a means for confining the gas bubbles as they break upward through the sealing liquid.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3, which is the form that has been described 110 is applied to the inner wall of the liquid-seal chamber 100, adjacent the opening 109. This plate is held in place by a resilient split ring 111 and extends upward in close proximity to the wall. The result is to define-a narrow passage through which the gas bubbles must rise. Theeffect is to elongate the gas bubbles vertically, or by emulsification to reduce the hydrostatic head. which must be overcome by the gasin rising to'the surface of the sealing liquid, and in consequence'of this to prolong the gas flow at each discharge through the seal. 'From this result increased amplitude offlexing of the diaphragm, tation of the feed valve. The effect'may be still further improved by soldering vertical wires 112 to the inner face of the plate 110 or by corrugating this plate.

and more vigorous agi- A dished and centrally apertured interceptor level in the chamber and the entrance 106 to the 115 gas oiftake duct 105. Its function is to deflect the gas after it bursts through the sealing liquid and as it passes to the outlet, and to knock back the liquid that would otherwise be entrained and carried away. This insures satisfactory liquid level in the seal over long periods of use and obviates the necessity for frequent refilling of the seal.

In the alternative construction of the liquid seal and diaphragm agitator of Figs. downtake duct. 108 passes through the center of the diaphragm- 104, and is not fixed but moves up and-down with the diaphragm, by which it is carried at 115. This tube plunges deeply into the liquid in the liquid seal chamber 100, gas enters it from the chamber of the gas limb 22 through openings 116. The lower portion of the tube is closely surrounded by a bubbler sleeve 117,

which performs the same function as the bubbler the maintenance of a 4 and 5, the

and the plate 110 of the other form. This sleeve may be secured in a stationary manner to the bottom of the chamber 100 or it may be attached to the 'tube 108 The link 69 that connects the diaof an annular plate' 118 extending inward from the wall of the receptacle 100 close below the gas outlet port 106, and sloping downward, this plate being shown as being held by a split ring 119.

The edge of'the large central opening in this plate is spaced from a downwardly extending and flaring ring 120, which is secured to the dia-" phragm. The gas rising up around the tube 108 is thoroughly deflected before it can reach the entrance to the ofitake, and any liquid whic h it carries is thrown back into the receptacle.

It may be understood that the remainder of the mechanism is the same as that described in con nection with Figs. 1-3. V

The operation of the generator and of the agitator has already been sufiiciently described and need not be repeated.

Numerous other changes and modifications may be made without affecting the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas outlet; an agitating unit including a liquid-seal chamber through which gas escapes at intervals from the generating chamber to the outlet, said unit also including a horizontal flexible diaphragm clamped against the top edge of the side wall of the chamber and subject to the moderate fluctuations in gas pressure resulting from the escape of gas into and out of said chamber, and mechanical operating connections between said diaphragm and said feed device, to agitate the latter.

2. In a gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas outlet; a liquid-seal chamber through which gas escapes at intervals from the generating chamber to the outlet, a flexible diaphragm forming a wall of the liquid-seal chamber and located so that it is exposed at one side to pressure from the generating chamber and at the opposite side to pressure of the gas beyond the liquid of said liquid-seal chamber, and mechanical connections connecting the diaphragm with the feed device so that flexing of the diaphragm agitates said feed device.

3. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber, a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, a flexible diaphragm clamped against the upper end of the side wall of said liquid-seal chamber, and comprising a partition between said liquid-seal chamber and the aforesaid gas chamber, and motiontransmitting mechanism connecting said diaphragm with said feed device.

4. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber,

a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, said duct extending downward from said gas chamber at the side of the liquid-seal chamber, communicating therewith at the bottom, a flexible diaphragm closing the upper end of said liquid-seal chamber, between the same and the aforesaid gas chamber, and mechanism operatively connected with said diaphragm to agitate said feed device.

5. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber, a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, said duct comprising a tube passing through the diaphragm and downward in the interior of the liquid-seal chamber, a flexible diaphragm closing the upper end of said liquid-seal chamber, between the same and the aforesaid gas chamber, and mechanism operatively connected with said diaphragm to agitate said feed device.

6. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber, a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, said duct comprising a tube carried by the diaphragm and plunging into the liquid in the liquid-seal chamber, a flexible diaphragm closing the upper end of said liquid-seal chamber, between the same and the aforesaid gas chamber, and mechanism operatively connected with said diaphragm to agitate said feed device.

'7. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber, a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, said duct extending downward from said gas chamber at the side of the liquid-seal chamber, communicating therewith at the bottom, a bubbler plate disposed close to the inner wall of the liquid-seal chamber to compel the gas to bubble up through a narrow passage, a flexible diaphragm closing the upper end of said liquid-seal chamber, between the same and the aforesaid gas chamber, and mechanism operatively connected with said diaphragm to agitate said feed device.

8. A gas generator, having a hopper, a generating chamber, a feed device, and a gas chamber in communication with the generating chamber, a liquid-seal chamber, a gas outlet leading from the upper portion of said liquid-seal chamber, a duct through which the gas escapes at intervals below the surface of the sealing liquid, said duct comprising a tube extending downward in the liquid-seal chamber, a bubbler sleeve surrounding the lower portion of said tube, a flexible diaphragm closing the upper end of said liquid-seal chamber, between the same and the aforesaid gas chamber, and mechanism operatively connected with said diaphragm to agitate said feed device.

9. In a gas generator, the combination with a hopper having a feed opening, of a valve plate beneath said opening an agitating unit including a liquid-seal chamber in a path of outflow of gas from the generator, a flexible diaphragm clamped against the top edge of the side wall of the chamber and subject to fluctuations in pressure due to the presence of said seal, and a mechanical linkage operatively connecting said diaphragm with said valve plate to agitate the latter. 7

10. In a gas generator, the combination with a hopper having a feed opening, of a valve plate beneath said opening, a liquid-seal chamber in a path of outflow of gas from the generator, a flexible diaphragm forming a wall of the chamber and subject to fluctuations in pressure due to the presence of said seal, mechanical connections connecting said diaphragm with said valve GEORGE M. DEMING. 

